SCATTERING a loved one's ashes is a profoundly personal matter. For many, it is a vital part of the grieving process, a coming to terms with loss. It can involve ceremonies and rituals, special trips to places dear to the deceased, or a quiet foray to bury or spread ashes close to home. After Mum's cremation, being handed a nondescript plastic bag of considerable weight was something I found upsetting. Was this all that remained of my flamboyant mother? What exactly are ashes? And why do we use this term? I had recently read a piece on the subject, and it made me feel more detached. lomhair, my partner, took charge of the bag because it upset me, and he put it in a safe place out of sight. "One day, you'll feel like dealing with it," he said wisely.
Eight years passed, and the bag lay hidden. Now my son Freddy and I wanted to bring Mum's departure to closure and planned a few days away somewhere beautiful - it would be a memorable trip for both of us - and it had to be in the west. It could have been Ardnamurchan but I didn't feel up to the memories. Tiree had been a very special place to us all, and Mum loved it.
Five days before I was due to meet Freddy in Oban, ready for an early sailing, I had a call from a retired gamekeeper at Blair Atholl. He had seen a squirrel carrying her kit across his garden. She had dropped it and vanished, and though the kit was left for three hours while the concerned couple watched from their windows, the mother didn't return - this was unusual.
It was a cold day with a bitter easterly wind, and the tiny kit was vulnerable. The decision to intervene is not to be taken lightly.
Hand-rearing is fraught with problems. It is time-consuming, and however well you carry out your role as a surrogate mother, you will never equal that of the natural mother, which means the baby is disadvantaged.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer